Oak Bush-cricket vs Devil's Coach Horse

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Oak Bush-cricket Devil's Coach Horse
Scientific Name Meconema thalassinum Ocypus olens
Order Orthoptera Coleoptera
Family Tettigoniidae Staphylinidae
Size 12-17mm 22-32 mm
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Predators Omnivores
Regions Europe Europe, introduced to North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Oak Bush-cricket

A slender, pale green bush-cricket found in tree canopies. It is nocturnal and rarely flies despite having fully developed wings. Females have a long, upcurved ovipositor.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few predatory katydids in Europe, hunting aphids and caterpillars at night.

Devil's Coach Horse

A large, matt-black rove beetle that raises its tail like a scorpion when threatened. It has powerful jaws and emits a foul smell.

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Did You Know?

In medieval Ireland it was believed to have the power to curse a person it pointed its tail at.